


Shared History

by sugarblossom



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:07:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24821308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarblossom/pseuds/sugarblossom
Summary: Gary and Serena revisit their childhood regarding Ash.
Relationships: Ookido Shigeru | Gary Oak & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Ookido Shigeru | Gary Oak & Serena, Satoshi | Ash Ketchum & Serena
Comments: 2
Kudos: 65





	Shared History

“So are you ready to battle?” Viola asked, stepping next to her sister. Ash and Pikachu exchanged a grin, already about to run to his end of the battlefield.

“You bet-”

“If it isn’t Ashy-boy!”

Everyone perked up.

Ash and Pikachu gasped, turning around to stare at the newcomer. Wait, two newcomers? 

“Gary, Tracey!” Clemont and Bonnie exchanged a confused glance. “Oh oh! Clemont, Bonnie, meet two of my oldest friends!”

Tracey nodded to Viola, who rolled her eyes. “Why am I not surprised you know Ash?”

Alexa chuckled, explaining to the two siblings, “Tracey is a pokemon watcher and an assistant to Professor Oak, and Gary is Professor Oak’s grandson!” Both Tracey and Gary waved.

“What are you two doing here?” Ash asked, fist-bumping Tracey. He grinned when Clemont and Bonnie both stared at them, eyes starry. Pikachu snickered, hopping down to greet Umbreon. 

“We were just dropping by!” Tracey said, holding up his sketchpad of Kalos pokemon. Ash and Gary exchanged a glance, trying to stifle their laughter. Their pokemon rolled their eyes.

Bonnie waved her hand up and down. “Whoa, they’re so good!”

“Hey, aren’t those sketches of Viola’s photos?” Clemont noted.

While Tracey nodded and explained the different sketches to the siblings, Ash tackled Gary in a hug. Clemont and Bonnie both blinked.

Pikachu only casually chatted with Umbreon.

Laughing, Gary patted Ash’s head, causing Ash to grumble. “Did you miss me? You better not have become the hero without me! Oh  _ wait _ .”

Viola and Alexa both laughed.

Ash’s sheepish grin was unlike anything Clemont and Bonnie saw… but what do they know? They’ve only recently met Ash after all. 

Twirling around, Ash exclaimed, “It’s SO good to see you again! Both of you!” Gary and Tracey both grinned. Umbreon stared up at Gary, eyes gleaming.

A girl stared at them from the sidelines. 

Gary took Ash’s cap and ruffled his hair, eliciting another childish complaint from Ash. “Right back at you!” 

Both pairs of siblings exchanged an amused look. “So are we going to battle anytime soon?” Viola asked. Pikachu laughed, climbing back onto Ash’s shoulder. 

The girl ran next to them. “Um, excuse me, Ash?” Ash stared at the handkerchief offered to him. Pikachu and Umbreon’s ears both twitched. “Here we go… Do you… remember me?” 

Silence.

The siblings and Tracey all shrugged at each other.

“Think back to when you went to camp in Pallet Town.” Ash and Gary both perked up. “I did too! That’s where we met!”

“Oh man, that was so long ago!” Gary said, leaning closer to Ash and petting Pikachu’s head. “We were really good friends back then, right Ash?”

Ash shoved at Gary. “You’re saying that as if we’re not still good friends!” The girl awkwardly stood there, glancing at the others. “I remember the camp, but I… can’t say I remember you.” Ash tipped his cap up. “Sorry!”

The girl deflated before giggling. “That’s ok, Ash! My name’s Serena!”

“Nice to meet- er, nice to see you again?” Pikachu and Umbreon both rolled their eyes.

“Wow Ashy-boy,  _ smooth _ .”

“You  _ shut it _ .”

While the two pairs of siblings chuckled, Serena sweatdropped. “You just focus on… your battles!”

Exchanging a glance with Viola, Ash nodded. “Let’s do this. I’ll check in with you all later! Especially you two, Tracey and Gary!” Tracey nodded in agreement, holding his sketchpad out.

Ash’s friends all stepped behind the sidelines. Gary rolled his eyes when Ash tossed his bag at him. “At least you admit I’m better at keeping track of belongings than you are!” Umbreon mewled, innocently pawing at their ears.

“ _ Zip it _ , Gare!” Ash yelled, him and Pikachu getting into battle position.

Slinging Ash’s bag over one shoulder, Gary glanced at Serena when she murmured, “Why does he know you but not me? He helped  _ me  _ back then!”

Gary burst out laughing. Serena flushed.

“I’m sorry,” Gary said between laughs, watching Umbreon hop onto the nearby stairs. “But you’re  _ not _ the only person Ash had helped over his life.” He fondly glanced at the battlefield before sporting a serious expression. “And why does he know me? We grew up together.”

Serena watched Ash’s other friends interact with each other before glancing at Gary. “So… do you know what would make Ash like me?”

Gary stifled a chuckle, stroking Umbreon behind the ears. “...Oh wait, that’s  _ seriously  _ your goal?” Serena blinked. “Let me guess, you started a life-changing journey for Ash just because he helped you once?” Serena’s blush gave him his answer. “That’s kinda sad if I’m being honest-”

“You don’t know anything!”

“Mhm, sure.” Gary’s eyes gleamed. “So what’s your plan now? You’ve found Ash. You accomplished your lifelong goal?” Umbreon licked their paws, staring at Serena.

“I…”

“You can’t just base your whole future around Ash, Serena.”

“I’m still gonna travel with him!”

Gary held his hands up. “I’m not stopping you. I’m just telling you to make your own goal.” Serena tilted her head when Gary glanced down at his shoes. “Live your life for yourself, you know? You don’t need anyone else telling you who you ‘should’ be.”

“...But what if Ash doesn’t like me for who I am?”

Smiling, Gary shook his head. “This is  _ Ash _ you’re talking about. And either way, you  _ shouldn’t  _ dedicate your dignity and self-worth to someone else.” He shrugged, running a hand down Umbreon’s back. “Sure, you can change and improve yourself because of Ash, but don’t change your identity for him. For  _ anyone _ but yourself.”

Serena peeked over at Ash before staring at Gary. “...Do you have experience in changing yourself for someone else?”

“Oh yeah.” Gary chuckled. “I dedicated way too much into hating Ash.” Umbreon rolled their eyes as if it was obvious.

“What? But you’re such good friends!”

“Yeah, Ash forgave me.” Gary set Ash’s bag next to Umbreon, running a hand through his hair. “That’s just who he is.” After glancing over in Ash’s direction, Gary hissed, “Ash is an amazing friend, so don’t you  _ dare  _ ruin your relation with him by making some  _ stupid  _ mistake.”

“...Did you-”

“Yeah. I gave in to the pressure.” Gary sighed, eyebrows furrowed. “We were both arrogant little kids, but I really took it too far, huh? Do you remember back then?”

Serena froze. “Camp?”

Gary’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah. You saw, didn’t you? Ash was so…  _ honest _ with himself. None of us liked that Ash remained himself when the rest of us gave up ourselves to fit in.” He stared at Ash’s bag, cracking a weak smile when Umbreon pawed it. “I really tried everything to justify why I did it. I even started out as a pokemon trainer instead of a researcher like my grandfather in order to spite him.”

Serena glanced off. “Hm, my mother wants me to become a Rhyhorn racer, but I didn’t want to just follow in my parent’s footsteps.”

“And that’s valid! If you know you don’t want to force yourself to be a Rhyhorn racer for your mother, why would you force yourself to be anything else for Ash?”

“But you still became a researcher like-”

“Yeah but I enjoy what I’m doing. Definitely more than putting Ash down.” Gary shrugged. “Just like I wasn’t above Ash, you’re not below him either. He just wanted us to be equals.” They both watched Ash and Pikachu battle together. “Typical Ash. Don’t tell him I said this, but I’m always impressed when he stuck to being himself, no matter how much others hated him for it.” Gary grinned at Serena. “So what I’m saying is, don’t give up-”

“Till it's over,” Serena finished. “He really hasn’t changed, huh?”

“So yeah, Ash just wants you to be yourself-”

“Hold up, why do you hide telling him those things?”

“Huh?” Umbreon purred, staring at Gary.

Serena twirled her wrist. “You know, you being impressed-”

“Shhh!” Gary glanced over at Ash with an embarrassed flush. “...Our relation has always been weird. Sure, we made up, but… guys don’t just admit that stuff about each other.”

“...Why not?”

Silence.

“Look, I just don’t want Ash to be like me when I was younger.”

“You think Ash would change that easy?”

After a pause, Gary chuckled. “I guess not.” Umbreon nodded, laying on top of Ash’s bag.

“But you literally just told me- Are you still trying to act all cool and superior to Ash? Are you even taking your own advice, or are you still trying to justify you being a jerk?”

“...Looks like I have a new goal of bettering  _ my _ self. The more you change, the more you stay the same.” Gary rubbed his face with a sigh, shooing Umbreon off Ash’s bag in amusement. “What about you?”

Serena pursed her lips. “I… still don’t know what my goal should be.”

Shrugging, Gary said, “You gotta figure that one out yourself. Take enough time to make sure you enjoy what your end goal is, but don’t waste your time either.” Umbreon padded next to Gary as he twirled Ash’s bag around his wrist. “Good luck. And not just with your relation.” Gary grinned. “I know from experience you’re gonna need it.”

**Author's Note:**

> How has everyone been doing? I hope well! <3


End file.
